


An Equal and Opposite Reaction

by DoomedTemperament



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, M/M, Some Humor, some ooc-ness probably
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-25
Updated: 2019-01-26
Packaged: 2019-10-15 19:27:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17534783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoomedTemperament/pseuds/DoomedTemperament
Summary: University student by daylight, crime fighter by moonlight, Hajime Hinata is more than just your average person. At least, that's what he wanted to believe.When a supervillain who calls himself "Remnant of Despair" shows up to cause havoc in the city, Hajime must use his alter ego- a masked hero named "Talent"- to save the day. But what happens when his superpowers aren't enough?And why does this "Nagito" guy have such a sudden interest in him?





	1. Villain (introduction)

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is 33% me wanting to explore Komaeda's more sinister side (Y'know, the one that almost killed Twogami? Who planted explosives in the island? Who tried to get everyone killed?), 33% wanting an excuse to draw him and Hinata as action characters, 33% wanting to write for funsies, and 1% other.
> 
> I can't guarantee this will update often (sort of like another superhero fic of mine for another fandom, which has completely halted production... *cough*) but I do want to explore the concept more.
> 
> That being said, please enjoy!

_Villain (noun):_  
_The person or thing responsible for specified trouble, harm, or damage._

 

**Daily Interest, issue 353**

**DESPAIR AND DESTRUCTION**  
**Unusual criminal activity spawned in the city; A new supervillain arrives.**

Approximately four weeks have passed since the destruction of one of the major city bridges, along with the upper floors of several skyscrapers. According to recently released police reports, the perpetrator behind these acts of terrorism has been sending CDs with warning messages, leading to several evacuations that have been kept under wraps until now. Further information revealed that the villain, who goes by the nickname “Remnant of Despair”, does not have any noted or visible superpowers. However, investigations on the destruction of the bridge— the target of one attack— showed that the infrastructure had suddenly become unstable and collapsed due to a single rusted bolt. Civilians are urgently advised to be on the lookout for suspicious behavior, though the identity and appearance of Remnant has not been made public yet.  
Click here for more information.

* * *

Hajime grimaced as he closed out the tab with the news article on his phone. This was the third time there had been a “mysterious incident” within the city boundary, and it was only now that they decided to identify them as supervillain plots.

_Don’t the police have a responsibility to let people know there’s someone malicious in the area?_

_More importantly, why haven’t they sent a hero to investigate yet?_

It took several moments for Hajime to realize he was glaring at his phone in the middle of the campus library, probably scaring away anyone who may have arrived and wanted to study. Oops. He blinked one, two, three times to clear his mind and let his expression relax, before packing his belongings back into his bookbag and standing up from his seat. He glanced around the room— nobody to be seen aside from the librarian at the desk— and headed to the far corner, away from the door and any prying ears.

He pulled out his phone again, and scrolled through his contacts.

_Dialing…_

…

_Connected._

“Hey, Chiaki? You wouldn’t happen to have any information on someone who calls themself ‘Remnant of Despair’, would you?”

“Hello to you too, Hajime. Unfortunately, I’ve been searching for the last two hours with no luck. I don’t think there’s any way to find the appearance of the person without seeing the CDs that were sent to the police.”

“Can’t you just hack their network and transfer any files with them on it?”

“That’s not how it works at all.”

“Hey, you know I’m not good with computers—”

“I’ll see what I can do to identify them. It’ll probably take at least a day, though. In the meantime, you should probably try to scope out some of the wreckage sites. You never know what you might find.”

“I guess. Any updates on the automated patrol?”

“Kazuichi and I are still working day and night on it. There are plenty of flaws in the system, but it’s starting to come together. We’re not sure when it will be ready, but I’ll have him call you when we’re ready to release a prototype.”

“You two are the best. Remind me why you dropped out of college again?”

“...snnnnnnnrk...”

“Did… did you just fall asleep?”

“...”

“...”

_Click!_

Hajime pocketed his phone once again, and tightened his grip on the straps of his bookbag. It wasn’t like traveling was particularly dangerous, but when there were threats of a seedy individual unknown to most of the residents, it put an uneasy feeling in Hajime’s stomach.

Somehow, he got the feeling that the day would bring disaster.

* * *

_Elsewhere, in an abandoned building full of dust and cobwebs, illuminated only by the light of an old laptop, a young man in disguise records a message._

_“Hello, officers. I’d introduce myself again, but by now, I’m sure you already know who I am. Not that someone of my kind deserves an introduction…_

_I’ve decided that now would be a good time to inform you that I have planted several bombs throughout the city’s subway stations, set to activate on the night of January 29th. Station 14 of the Ginza line will detonate at 9:15 PM. Station 20 of the Tozai line will detonate at 9:30 PM. Station 4 of the Fukutoshin line will detonate at 9:45 PM._

_Evacuation of these areas would be a wise choice. Then again, who am I to dictate what you do?_

_If you’re feeling especially brave, you can try to find the bombs before they activate. I have high hopes that you’ll be able to locate them. Whether you can deactivate them is a mystery, though, even to me._

_I wish you all the best of luck.”_

_The recording stops, and shortly after, a single disc is burned from the tray._

_A manic laugh resounds through the empty space._


	2. Collision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sound of a frantic voice passed through his ears, and in his shock, he didn’t register that the voice was directed at him. At least, until he saw a slender hand reaching for his phone and presenting it to him after it had been picked up. Hajime’s gaze flickered from the phone (which had a now incredibly-shattered screen) to the person holding it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter, but I tried.
> 
> Also, I am incapable of doing anything without my phone.

_Collision (noun):_  
_An instance of one moving object or person striking violently against another_

 

Hajime inwardly groaned as the already-cramped subway car became even more cramped, leaving him pressed between two other people standing and gripping the strap-hangers. He’d been standing for the last twenty minutes, and according to the map on his phone, he still had twelve more to go before he reached his destination.

 _Who knew fighting crime could be so mundane?_ He dryly thought to himself.

The car made a sudden jolt, which caused one of the passengers to bump against him and knock his phone out of his hand, hitting the floor screen-side-down with a sharp crack.

It took a good portion of his effort not to let his internal horror turn into external horror.

“Ah, I’m sorry!”

The sound of a frantic voice passed through his ears, and in his shock, he didn’t register that the voice was directed at him. At least, until he saw a slender hand reaching for his phone and presenting it to him after it had been picked up. Hajime’s gaze flickered from the phone (which had a now incredibly-shattered screen) to the person holding it.

The first thing he noticed was that the other was carrying a thick-looking laptop bag, one that looked far too heavy for someone of his stature to carry. The second thing was that, despite a form that looked to be in the same age range as himself, the other man had stark white hair that faded into light auburn pulled into a low ponytail, rounded glasses that emphasized sea glass-colored eyes, and pale skin. He was frowning apologetically, and if Hajime wasn’t still reeling from seeing his phone get accidentally destroyed by the guy, he might have thought it looked cute.

“Hah…” The other laughed weakly, and looked away, “I should have figured something like this would happen.”

Hajime carefully extracted his phone, and pressed the power button. The display flickered to life, and he sighed in relief. Even though the glass was busted, it still turned on, which, he supposed, was its own brand of whacked-out luck.

“I can replace that for you, if you want,” The other man said quickly, and Hajime realized he was still talking. “If you’re stopping at the next station, I know there’s a phone repair shop that only takes an hour to fix screens. I can cover the cost, it’s really no problem…”

“Uh,” Hajime started, slightly overwhelmed by the situation, “That would be great.”

 _It’s only just beginning to get dark out,_ He thought. _I might not have enough time to investigate, even if it only takes an hour. But then again… I can’t really go anywhere or report anything without a cell phone, can I? I’ll just have to worry about investigating later._

With the sudden agreement made, Hajime and the stranger waited until the station name was called, and passengers began to flood out.

After exiting the station and borrowing the stranger’s phone, Hajime sent a quick text to Chiaki to inform her of the situation. They then spent the next few minutes walking along the sidewalk, mostly silent.

“So…” The stranger said, “If I may ask, what’s your name?”

“Hajime. Hajime Hinata.”

“Nice to meet you, Hajime. Despite the circumstances, that is…” The stranger said. “My name’s Nagito Komaeda, but you can call me Ko if you want.”

“That feels a little bit too personal,” Hajime said, only realizing how rude it sounded until the words had already left his mouth. Nagito only laughed, though.

“That’s probably true. I am just some guy who destroyed your phone, after all… I’m still incredibly sorry about that—”

“You don’t have to keep apologizing, you know,” Hajime said, “You’ve already offered to pay to fix it. Accidents happen.”

“This was no accident, though.”

Hajime stopped walking.

“What do you mean?” He asked, and saw a strange expression on Nagito’s face.

“Nothing for you to worry about. I just… I guess you could say I have bad luck. Horrendous luck. Nightmarish luck.”

Hajime raised an eyebrow at the phrasing, but Nagito seemed oddly at peace. Not much more was said between the two, with Hajime quietly trailing behind Nagito as he led the way to the tech shop. After a few more minutes of walking, they arrived, and Nagito spent a bit of time talking to the person running the counter; By the looks of it, Nagito had been there more than once. Listening in to the conversation, Hajime was glad that Nagito had offered to pay the price of repairing the phone (it cost _how much?!_ ) but then realized that he had nothing to do for the next hour.

“Have you had dinner yet?” Nagito asked, bringing Hajime out of his thoughts.

“Not yet, why?”

Nagito shifted his weight from foot to foot, smiling awkwardly as he gripped the laptop case.

“If you’re alright with walking a bit further, there’s a small diner around the corner. I could pay for your meal? As part of my apology, of course.”

_The way he’s moving around, it’s almost like he’s asking me on a date or something._

“Uh. Sure?” Hajime said, unsure.

“Great! Follow me!” Nagito said, suddenly perking up.

_I’m going to get mood whiplash from this guy. But at least he seems nice._

* * *

Fifty minutes later, Hajime... still didn’t know how to feel about Nagito.

The diner that they ate at was casual, and they served all-day breakfast, so both he and Nagito had gotten French toast. Despite Nagito talking about how their food was some of the best, he had only taken a few bites out of his meal. The conversation was even more odd, with Nagito wildly recalling events from his childhood. It wasn’t as uncomfortable as Hajime would have initially thought, but still...

“And as it turned out, the lottery ticket was a winner! But then—” Nagito gestured wildly, then realized what he was doing and sheepishly folded his arms across his chest.

“You weren’t kidding before. You do have some crazy luck,” Hajime said. “If it was anyone but you telling me this, I’d think they were lying.”

Nagito tilted his head.

“Oh? What lets you know I’ve been telling the truth?”

Hajime shrugged awkwardly, and said, “I don’t know… it’s like there’s this sort of sincerity about you. It doesn’t feel like you’re lying. But that probably sounds stupid, doesn’t it?”

Nagito’s expression slowly shifted. His eyelids went wide, then fluttered as he blinked rapidly. His jaw went slightly slack, and if Hajime looked closely, he could see a blush forming.

“Oh… It, uh… that’s really the first time anyone’s said something so nice about me.”

Hajime furrowed his brows, and tried to ignore how soft Nagito’s voice was, and how strangely charming he looked at that moment.

“Uh.” He said, attempting to take another bite of his French toast and frowning when he realized he had eaten it all, “How long has it been since we left the tech shop?”

Nagito hummed, and pulled his phone out of his pocket.

“It’s been roughly fifty-two minutes. Once I pay the bill, we can go back, and it should be done by then.”

After paying for their food, the two returned to the tech shop. Just as Nagito had said, Hajime's phone screen was fully repaired, and they had even thrown in a complimentary glass protector.

Hajime whistled as they walked out of the shop, and looked at Nagito.

“So… thanks for the help. And dinner. It means a lot to me.”

Nagito looked away, fussing with a stray strand of hair that had come loose from his ponytail.

“Really, it was no trouble at all. I’m still sorry about shattering the screen.” A pause, and then, “I should probably get going now. It’s late, and I’ve got a few things to take care of before I go home.”

Hajime looked at Nagito for a moment, and sighed.

“Can I have your number?”

Nagito looked back at Hajime, clearly taken aback.

“Wha—! That’s so forward of you!”

“No, no, no!” Hajime said quickly, trying to ignore the heat creeping up to his cheeks, “I meant like, in case something unexpected happens with the phone, or…!”

“Oh, I see,” Nagito said, and calmed slightly. “I suppose it couldn’t hurt, then.”

 _What just came over me?_ Hajime thought as he handed his phone over, and watched as Nagito entered his number into his contacts. _I don’t have any real reason to keep in contact with this guy, but…_

“Here you go,” Nagito said, and handed back the phone with a smile. “As weird as it sounds, I… I do hope I see you again soon. Hopefully under better luck.”

“Yeah,” Hajime said, and with nothing more to do, the two parted ways.

* * *

**7:15 PM**

Hajime frowned as police officers swarmed the terminal, sending hordes of irritated passengers left and right. He tried to maneuver around the area, being pushed around to and fro, but the chaos was steadily growing.

_What’s going on? Was there some sort of crash or accident?_

Nothing unusual had happened as Hajime boarded the subway after his phone was repaired. It had been a half hour since he had started the ride back home (after deciding he’d have to investigate the bridge the next day) and nothing had felt amiss. He was just about ready to chalk his earlier feeling of dread to the phone incident, when suddenly, right as the car pulled into the next station, squadrons of police cars had surrounded the area.

“My house is over thirty minutes away! How am I supposed to walk there in high heels?!” One woman shouted.

“Ma’am,” An officer spoke in an attempt to placate the fuming woman, “This is an important matter of safety. We have to evacuate the station. There should be plenty of taxis around to take you.”

_Evacuation?_

Suddenly, that same feeling of dread returned.

Hajime quickly ran to the station exit, barreling past others (and earning a few disgruntled shouts in return). Just as he managed to leave and duck into an alleyway, his phone rang from within his schoolbag, playing a cheesy tune from a popular video game.

_Chiaki._

“Hajime, where are you right now?”

“I’m about forty minutes away from home.”

“So are you near one of the evacuating stations?”

“Yeah, I— wait, stations? As in, plural?”

“Yeah… There are apparently a lot of them going on right now. It’s even being reported on TV.”

“We’re probably thinking the same thing, then— That “Remnant of Despair” person has something to do with it.”

“Exactly. I’ve been trying to focus on getting information about them, but so far I’m not getting anything. I’ve had Kazuichi helping me with the rest of intel, though. From what we’ve gathered so far, there was another CD that Remnant sent out earlier today. Three subway stations have bombs set to go off, all in less than three hours.”

“Are you kidding me?! That’s way worse than any of the previously reported attacks! Why would they suddenly do a huge stunt, and why now?”

“We’re not sure. But… it seems like it could be really dangerous.”

“Maybe for a normal person, yeah, but I’m not normal. I can't just sit back and watch this happen.”

“Hajime… I know you want to find out more, and I’m not going to stop you. Just… please be safe, okay?”

“Don’t worry.”

“...”

“Okay, okay. I’ll be safe.”

“Thank you.”

 

**Two hours until the explosion.**

**Author's Note:**

> If you have ideas for this AU (or if you just wanna scream at me) you can find me on twitter @doomtemp !


End file.
